Monday, November 3, 2008

The House on Fortune Street


I recently finished reading The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey.

The story is set in the United Kingdom and reflects all the wonderful complexities of the English. I found this book particularly interesting in its approach to perspective. The book is divided into four sections, each told from a different character’s point of view. This technique allows the reader to see events and weigh their consequences through different eyes.

Would that it were so easy for us to shift our experience and take the other party’s thoughts and feelings into account. Livesey’s skillful writing and well-drawn characters produce a satisfying, yet sad story that is impossible to put down.